Drying rack for plastic bags



Jan. 3, 1967 JEZCHL EB ET AL 3,295,694

DRYING RACK FOR PLASTIC BAGS Filed Dec. 17, 1964 Fig Fig 2 B EB LE rHL J .wCH flZC e mH E .N J A mY B A AM V: B 0 f z w. Z q L. 11111 L Fig 3 United States Patent 3,25,694 DRYING RACK FOR PLASTIC BAGS Albert J. Nejezchleb and Mary A. Neg'ezchleb, both of Fairfield, Nebr. 68938 Filed Dec. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 419,167 3 Claims. (Cl. 211--126) This invention relates to drying racks, and more particularly it is an object of this invention to provide a drying rack for plastic bags which is adapted to catch in its tray water dripping from the bags.

The increasing popularity of plastic bags used in the kitchen of the modern home has caused many housewives to attempt to reuse the bags by rinsing them off in order to gain a further saving against the increasing costs of operating a household.

However, such housewives have had difiiculty in that the bags, by their nature, will not dry on their inner sides by themselves because side portions of the bag set against one another clinging to each other and preventing the entry of air, with the result that water inside a bag becomes stagnant and the smelly bags cannot be satisfactorily reused.

This problem has continued for many years becoming particularly acute during the most recent years of increased plastic bag use. Our solution to this problem is in the provision of a rack with drip-water-catching tray beneath.

A further object is to provide a product designed for the maximum simplicity of gaining a much needed economy as excessive cost would bring disuse, since such bags are themselves relatively inexpensive.

A further object is to provide a rack, the parts of which can be boxed and sold in dismantled condition for ease of packaging and for small store shelf space consumption. The compact storage feature also being or" value at times to a housewife in the kitchen.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, drawings and claims, the scope of the invention not being limited to the drawings themselves as the drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating a Way in which the principles of this invention can be applied.

Other embodiments of the invention utilizing the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the rack of this invention with an imperforate plastic bag thereon shown in dotted lines.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the rack as shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

The drying rack for plastic bags of this invention is generally indicated at in FIGURE 1 and comprises a tray generally indicated at 12 and a plurality of bagsupporting members 14 mounted generally above the tray 12 and each having an upper portion 16 lying in substantially a single plane and being of a dimension, in a direction transverse of the respective plan sufficiently large so that the open end of a bag indicated in dotted lines at 20 can be placed over two bag supporting members 14 in an inverted position so that when the open end of the bag is downward, it will be held open by the respective bag-supporting member 14 and the sides of the bag 20 will be held in spaced relationship for the admission of air between the sides 24 for the drying of the bag.

The bag-supporting members 14 each comprise a substantially U-shaped member preferably made of wire having vertical sides 30 and a horizontal top 32. Lower ends 34 of the sides 30 are received in upwardly opening sockets formed integrally with the remainder of the tray 12 for one-piece economic forming from thermoplastic material, if desired.

The tray 12 has an under surface 44 having lowermost parts disposed in a horizontal plane and the tray 12 further has its sockets 40 spaced inwardly and downwardly from outermost and uppermost portions of an outwardly and upwardly extending water drip rim 42 of the tray, whereby water dripping from a bag 20 will be received in the tray. The bag-supporting members 14 are each removably received in the respective pair of sockets 40 for the ready dismantling of the drying rack for storage in a small space by simply sliding the side portions 30 of each bag-supporting member 14 upwardly out of their respective socket 40.

Referring to FIGURE 2, it will be seen that there are many holes 40 providing the possibility for spacing the bagsupporting members 14 various selective distances apart so that, for example, if a bag is larger than the bags illustrated in FIGURE 1, then the spacing of adjacent bag-supporting members 14 can be made greater in order to hold a bag in an open and unwrinkled shape for the most rapid drying.

As thus described, it will be seen that this invention has fulfilled the objectives set forth.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a drying rack for plastic bags constructed in accordance with our invention is particularly well adapted for use, by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that our invention can be changed and modified without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason, we do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out our invention in practice, except as claimed.

We claim:

1. A drying rack for plastic bags comprising: a tray, a plurality of bag-supporting members mounted above said tray, said bag-supporting members each having an upper portion lying in substantially a single plane and being of a dimension in a direction transversely of the respective said plane sufliciently large so that the open end of the bag can be placed on said bag-supporting member in an inverted position so that when the open end of the bag is downward, the said open end will be held open by the respective bag-supporting member and the sides of the bag will be held in spaced relation for the admission of air between said sides for the drying of said bag.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said bag-supporting members each comprise a substantially U-shaped member having its sides vertically disposed, said tray having spaced upwardly opening sockets thereon receiving the lower ends of the sides of said bag-supporting mem- M bers, the said sockets being spaced inwardly from said sides of said tray, whereby water dripping from a bag a disposed on said bag-supporting members will be received in said tray.

3. The combination of claim 1 in which said b ag-supporting members each comprise a substantially U-shaped member having its sides vertically disposed, said tray having spaced upwardly opening sockets thereon receiving the lower ends of the sides of said bag-supporting members, the said sockets being spaced inwardly from said sides of said tray, whereby water dripping from a bag disposed on said bag-supporting members will be 10 received in said tray, said bag-supporting members each being removably received in said sockets for the ready dismantling of the drying rack for storage in a small space, when desired.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 423,647 3/1890 Wells 21142 660,264 10/1900 Storm 211184 1,185,677 6/1916 Jargstorf 21174 OTHER REFERENCES I. B. Timberlake & Sons, Catalogue No. 29, page 16, received Oct. 8, 1957 (copy in 21141, Group 460).

CLAUDE A, LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

K. I. WINGERT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DRYING RACK FOR PLASTIC BAGS COMPRISING: A TRAY, A PLURALITY OF BAG-SUPPORTING MEMBERS MOUNTED ABOVE SAID TRAY, SAID BAG-SUPPORTING MEMBERS EACH HAVING AN UPPER PORTION LYING IN SUBSTANTIALLY A SINGLE PLANE AND BEING OF A DIMENSION IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSELY OF THE RESPECTIVE SAID PLANE SUFFICIENTLY LARGE SO THAT THE OPEN END OF THE BAG CAN BE PLACED ON SAID BAG-SUPPORTING MEMBER IN AN INVERTED POSITION SO THAT WHEN THE OPEN END OF THE BAG IS DOWNWARD, THE SAID OPEN END WILL BE HELD OPEN BY THE RESPECTIVE BAG-SUPPORTING MEMBER AND THE SIDES OF THE BAG WILL BE HELD IN SPACED RELATION FOR THE ADMISSION OF AIR BETWEEN SAID SIDES FOR THE DRYING OF SAID BAG. 